Enemies of the cross

A few days ago we received a bulletin penned by some Charismatic leaders who were expressing a deep concern over what they believe is happening in Messianic circles. According to this report, some ‘Messianics’ have espoused teachings of righteousness via keeping the dietary laws (which unfortunately could be the case for some), and not according to faith in Messiah. The other heretical and (quote) “deceptive and dangerous teaching had to do with (supposedly) assigning natural Israelite heritage to African Americans”. The writers concluded that because of the gravity of these matters, they needed to be addressed and made public. One of their pronouncements concerning Messianics-so-engaged was that they are “enemies of the cross” (execution tree). This is not the first time I have heard this statement used. Some of you, who have been involved in the Charismatic movement, probably remember that in the early days of the revival, the main line churches were saying the same thing about speaking in tongues.

After reading this article, I started to ponder the above-mentioned assertion and asked myself, who or what makes one “an enemy of the cross”? What was most intriguing to me was, that the statement was taken from the same chapter that I had used in last week’s letter: “Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Messiah whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame----who set their mind on earthly things” (Phil 3:17-18).

Why is the Apostle pointing specifically to the execution tree of Messiah? Was it just because these teachers from the circumcision party were teaching aspects of Judaism, specifically righteousness through keeping laws of Torah, (see Phil 3:1-2), or was he alluding to something more fundamental about Messiah’s cross? I believe that he was addressing the issue of living in, walking by and putting confidence in the “flesh”, rather than glorying in the Messiah by walking in the Spirit. “For we are the circumcision, who worship YHVH in the Spirit, and rejoice in Messiah Yeshua, and have no confidence in the flesh…” (Philip. 3:3-4, see also last week’s letter). Paul writes extensively about “walking”, but it is mostly in reference to the flesh or, conversely, to the Spirit. “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Messiah Yeshua, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit…that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Rom 8:1,4).

It seems that the party of the circumcision was also challenging the brethren in Galatia (Gal. 2:12). However, this time the issue was not “righteousness”, but “justification” through the works of the flesh and not through faith. “Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of YHVH is evident, for ‘the just shall live by faith’" (Gal. 3:3,11). Rav Shaul uses himself as the example to illustrate the problem with the flesh in his letter to the believers at Rome: “For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death…For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find” (Rom. 7:5,18).

Romans chapter seven is very central to the understanding of the New Covenant revelation. If the Spirit of Truth (Yeshua), who now is our teacher, doesn’t reveal to our understanding what the Apostle is presenting to us, we will definitely become “enemies of the cross of Messiah”. What did YHVH accomplish on the cross? Yes, He reconciled the world (of man) to Himself, but He did it by forgiving man of his sin (rebellion – unbelief). How did He do that? He put the ‘man of flesh’ to death. “For the love of Messiah constrains us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then we are all dead” (2Cor. 5:14). “Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Messiah, we believe that we shall also live with Him” (Rom. 6:6-8). Please notice that the Apostle does not use the word “believing”, but “knowing”, which connotes an experiential reality of our death. If we “know” this but continue to “walk after the flesh”, I’m afraid that we are participating with the enemies of the cross of Messiah. Therefore, “set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Messiah in YHVH” (Col. 3:2-3). Here again Paul says that “you died” or “you have died”, emphasizing the past tense as a truth that is complete, finished and has been accomplished for us in Yeshua’s death.

"I have been crucified with Messiah; it is no longer I who live, but Messiah lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20). If our life is rooted in this aspect of the Gospel of the Kingdom, uncircumcision is just as useless as circumcision, as some think that being uncircumcised is a sign of a true Christian.
A number of years ago we were visiting some believers who wanted to find out if we were really ‘free from the Law’. They made pork sandwiches, the eating of which was to be the acid test to determine whether we were truly ‘brothers’ or perhaps posed a danger to their ‘freedom’. Back in the late 60’s and early 70’s Yeshua ‘came’ to a remnant of Christians from varying denominations, filled them with His holy presence and brought them together in fellowship. One of the traditions that they all had in common was the “sacrament of holy communion”. But guess what? The Catholics brought wine, and some of the Protestant brethren became very indignant over the alcoholic content, and so strife and contention arose in their midst. The Apostle had an answer for this kind of behavior: “For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like [unregenerate] men?” (1 Cor.3: 3). Paul clearly defines the relationship between the flesh and the Spirit; they are aggressively opposed one to the other (see Gal. chapters 4 & 5).

As believers and ‘knowers’ of the “cross of Messiah” we must go back, look and listen carefully to Rav Shaul’s personal testimony recorded in Romans chapter 7. Even though he willed to do ‘good’, there was something at work in him even as a believer and an apostle. And even though this ‘something’ was not easy to deal with, we ourselves would do well to respond as he did: “Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me” (Rom 7:17, 20). Paul twice repeats, “It is no longer I”! Here is faith actively looking at the “death of the Messiah”. Shaul-Paul is saying, ‘it can’t be me, as I have died, therefore it is the power of sin working in the various components of my person.’ Personally I think that this was Paul’s “thorn in the flesh”, “lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure” (2 Cor 12:7). “But how shall I be delivered from this body of death? Thanks be to YHVH through Messiah Yeshua… therefore there is now no condemnation…!” (Rom 7:24-25; 8:1).

So who is really an enemy of the cross? “We judge thusly, that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Messiah according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer” (2 Cor. 5:14-16). There are three enemies of the cross, the devil, the flesh and the world. Let us therefore wage war against our real enemies, and not against one another, nor against any man, otherwise we will be found collaborating with those who are the real enemies of the cross of Messiah. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph 6:12).

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in MessiahYeshua, and in the power of his might.
Put on the whole armour of YHVH, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Eph. 6:10-11).